Dog Illness Symptoms that Cause Shaking

Discover the medications, conditions and dog illness
symptoms that include shaking and tremors. Because there are different
levels of shaking, it's important to pay close attention to the
severity and if the shaking is full body or specific to one area.

Head Shaking Involves an Ear Infection-Related Dog Illness

Dogs that have an ear infection will
repeatedly shake their head and dig at their ears. If your dog is
shaking his head constantly, an ear infection is likely. A foul odor
coming from the ears is usually a yeast infection and can be treated
with an ear wash containing boric acid and anti-fungal ointments.
Bacterial infections need antibiotic medications.

Full Body Shaking and Seizures

Dogs can have seizures for a number of
reasons. Rabid dogs will suffer from seizures. If your pet has been
bitten by a wild animal or bat and you are uncertain of the date of
your dog's last rabies shot, rabies is a possibility. You must
quarantine the animal and contact animal health officials.

Canine epilepsy is another possibility.
Epilepsy occurs in young dogs, usually up to the age of five. Watch for
the early signs such as pacing, excess drooling and extreme
restlessness. After this, the dog may collapse and suffer from
involuntary shaking. Contact your vet if your dog has had a seizure.

Chills and Fevers that Appear with a Dog Illness

A sick dog often develops a fever.
During this fever, chills are common and your dog will shiver. The best
thing to do for a dog that is feverish is to keep him in a draft-free,
warm room. Offer plenty of liquids and even a few treats like ice cubes
or frozen fruit juice. If the fever lasts more than 24 hours, contact
your vet.

Pay Attention to the Location of the Shaking

A dog illness that features shaking as a
key symptom can be diagnosed by the area of the shaking. For example,
if a dog loses coordination in the back limbs and not the front, kidney
failure or spine problems can be to blame.

Pay close attention to where the shaking
occurs. This can help your veterinarian come up with possible dog
illnesses to get a proper diagnosis and treatment plan into action.

Be Careful Giving Over-the-Counter Medications

Because some dog illness treatments are
the same as medications used by humans, people have a tendency to save
money but using their leftover medications on their pets. A dog with
congestive heart failure is often prescribed digoxin. Digoxin pills
are already tiny, so to come up with the correct dosage for a dog is
difficult. With an overdose of digoxin shaking, tremors, nausea,
diarrhea and weakness are common.

Shaking and Tremors Caused by Exposure to Insecticides

One of the leading dog illness problems
involves over-the-counter flea medications and insecticides.
Overexposure to these insecticides frequently causes tremors in dogs,
but pet owners figure the flea medication or shampoo they just used was
meant for dogs, so they overlook the potential of those insecticides as
the problem. Ingredients in many insecticides affect the function of
nerves and muscles leading to shaking and tremors.